1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to head restraint assemblies for use with vehicle seat assemblies.
2. Background Art
Because of concern for the safety of vehicle occupants, vehicles have traditionally been the subject of extensive government regulation. Such regulations set forth standards with which the vehicle and/or its components must comply. One component that has been the subject of regulation is the vehicle head restraint assembly.
FMVSS-202a prescribes a minimum “backset retention” for a head restraint assembly. The backset retention test prescribed by FMVSS-202a requires that a head restraint assembly be able to withstand a specified level of force without experiencing a greater than a specified displacement. Current head restraint assemblies having only a head restraint armature and a foam cushion may be unable to satisfy the requirements of FMVSS-202a because of the deformation experienced by the foam cushion upon the application of the specified force. Applicants' invention presents a solution to this potential problem.